David Leitch’s ‘How To Rob a Bank’ Lands the Worst Rotten Tomatoes Score of His Career

David Leitch has built one of Hollywood’s most reliable action résumés, with stylish crowd-pleasers like ‘Bullet Train’ and ‘The Fall Guy’. So when his new heist thriller ‘How to Rob a Bank’ was announced with Nicholas Hoult in the lead, expectations were high. Critics, however, are not buying what the film is selling.

The film had plenty going for it on paper. Hoult leads a cast that includes Zoë Kravitz, John C. Reilly, Anna Sawai and Pete Davidson, in a story about social media-savvy bank robbers who broadcast their heists online. Mark Bianculli wrote the screenplay for Amazon MGM Studios.

Now the reviews have pushed the film to an unwanted milestone. ‘How to Rob a Bank’ sits at 32% on Rotten Tomatoes from 78 reviews, making it the lowest-rated film of Leitch’s career. The R-rated movie runs 2 hours and 2 minutes and is now playing in theaters.

The score has been sliding for days. When the first reactions arrived, the film was at 50% on 20 reviews, and a later snapshot showed 46% from 24 reviews before it dropped again. By the time it debuted ahead of its November 13 release, it had already fallen to 44%, which was already Leitch’s lowest ever.

David Leitch’s ‘HOW TO ROB A BANK’, starring Nicholas Hoult, is now at 32% on Rotten Tomatoes. • Lowest-rated film of Leitch’s career. https://t.co/rgFmjn5mhR

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) November 13, 2026

The general consensus is that the movie has ambition but not enough follow-through. Most critics agree that the film has big ideas about wealth, banks and online culture, but doesn’t do much with them. ScreenRant’s review praised its energy and style but said it lacked compelling characters, describing it overall as a fun but forgettable ride.

There are some positive notes. The Hollywood Reporter’s David Rooney praised the film’s unexpected heart and its feel for the cultural moment. IndieWire’s David Ehrlich gave it a B- and highlighted its strong sense of place in Pittsburgh. Even so, those reviews were not enough to pull the overall score up.

The weak reviews are arriving alongside soft box office numbers. Amazon MGM and 87North’s film took in $900K in previews, with Deadline projecting $2M on Friday and a $4M opening from 2,810 theaters. The outlet reported the film cost a net $40M, though other reports put the budget closer to $60M.

Who’s robbing who? How To Rob A Bank – only in theaters September 4. https://t.co/KAlmI8LsZp

— Amazon MGM Studios (@AmazonMGMStudio) June 2, 2026

That is a big drop from what tracking once suggested. Long-range forecasts put the opening at $10 million to $15 million. It’s also a steep fall for Leitch, since ‘The Fall Guy’ and ‘Bullet Train’ both opened near $30 million.

The film also faces tough competition this weekend. Johnny Depp’s ‘Ebenezer’ is heading for an opening of more than $20 million, and Deadline noted that ‘Ghost Soldier’ and ‘How to Rob a Bank’ are going after the same male audience. ‘How to Rob a Bank’ had originally been set for Labor Day weekend before moving to November. Some reviews also pointed to the film’s awkward politics. CinemaBlend observed that an anti-banking message funded by Amazon isn’t helping, according to some critics.

Hoult clearly put plenty of work into the film. According to a report on Leitch’s interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Hoult performed much of his own physical action while dealing with an ACL injury. Kelly McCormick, Brian Grazer, Jeb Brody, Allan Mandelbaum and Leitch served as producers.

Leitch already has his next project lined up. ‘Jason Statham Stole My Bike’ is set for August 6, 2027, from Black Bear Pictures. For now, though, ‘How to Rob a Bank’ looks like a rare stumble for one of action cinema’s most dependable directors.

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